Door mounting devices



DOOR MOUNTING DEVICES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1957 6 mu. 4 M/ 4 w a 2/ 0 6 fl/ Feb. 14, 1961 c. B. ELIOT 2,971,227

DOOR MOUNTING DEVICES Filed Nov. 6, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 14, 1961 c. B. ELIOT DOOR MOUNTING DEVICES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 6, 195'? DOOR MOUNTING DEVICES Charles E. Eliot, Woburn, Mass.

Filed Nov. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 694,817

Claims. (Cl. 2016) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in door mounting devices, particularly mounting devices for doors of the type which, rather than being swingable on common hinges, are adapted for bodily translation from a closed to an open position and vice versa.

One example of a door of this type is illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,617,155, issued on November 11, 1952, which also shows a certain mechanism for supporting the door and controlling the'opening and closing movement thereof.

Briefly, the door supporting and controlling mechanism in accordance with the above mentioned patent includes a pair of arms swingable about a vertical axis and carrying a vertical spindle on which the door is pivotally mounted for turning movement about the axis of the spindle, together with means for guiding and turning the door while the arms swing between open and closed positions. 1

The principal object of the present invention is to substantially simplify and otherwise improve this mechanism, particularly the door guiding means thereof, so that the same is composed of relatively fewer parts, is easier to install and adjust, and smoother to operate because of reduced friction among its fewer components.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved latching means for the mechanism in both the open and closed positions of the door.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved stop means for the door mounting mechanism in both the open and closed door positions.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the inventionwill be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts, and wherein for illustrative purposes:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view of a door in its frame or casing, supported by the mounting mechanism in the closed position, this view being taken from the inside of the door;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 22 in Figure 1, with the door in its closed position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, similar to that shown in Figure 2, but showing the door in its open position;

Figure 4 is an underside perspective view of the upper stationary member used in the invention;

Figure 5 is a top perspective view of the upper bracket;

Figure 6 is an underside perspective view of the upper bracket;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lower stationary member;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 88 in Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a sectional detail on an enlarged scale,

States Patent ice taken substantially in the plane of the line 9-9 in Figure 2;

Figure 10 is a sectional detail on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 1-1b in Figure 3;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of the latching means;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevational view of the latching means;

Figure 13 is a sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 13-13 in Figure 11;

Figure 14 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing the connection of the lower arm to the lower stationary member; and

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the lower bracket used in the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the reference numeral 20 designates a suitable frame or casing having a door 21 mounted therein for bodily translator-y movement between a closed position shown in Figures 1 and 2, and an open position shown in Figure 3.

The door mounting mechanism in accordance with the invention comprises an upper stationary member or plate 22 having slots 23 formed therein to receive screws 24 whereby the same may be secured to a suitable horizontal support above the upper edge of the door, such as for example, to the underside of a cross-member 26a of the door casing. The provision of the slots 23 permits the position of the plate 22 to be adjusted so that it is properly aligned with other components of the mechanism.

If desired, the plate mrneber 22 may be provided at one longitudinal edge thereof with projecting lugs 25 to abut a vertically disposed cross-member Ztlb of the casing 20, whereby to assist in installation of the plate member in proper relation to the face of the door.

A trunnion 26 is provided at the underside of the plate member 22 at a point spaced horizontally inwardly from the door when the latter is closed, and one end of an arm 27 is pivotally mounted on this trunnion, being held thereon by a suitable screw or bolt 28 as shown in Figure 8.

The other end of the arm 27 is apertured and secured by a set-screw 29 to the upper end of a vertical shaft or spindle 30, the lower end of which has similarly secured thereto by a set-screw 31 an apertured outer end of a second arm 32. The latter is pivotally mounted at its inner end on a pedestal-shaped lower stationary member 33 having a flanged base 34 secured by suitable screws 35 to the floor, or to a lower cross-member Ztlc of the door casing. As shown in Figure 14, the pivotal connection of the arm 32 to the pedestal member 33 may be effected by providing these parts with coacting recesses or sockets 32a, and 33a, respectively, to receive a fulcrum ball 36. As such, the ball 36 not only facilitates the required pivotal connection of the parts, but also affords a thrust bearing for the arm 32 and the shaft 30 secured thereto.

It is to be noted that the pedestal member 33 is vertically aligned with the trunnion 26 of the member 22 at the top of the door, and that the arms 27, 32 together with the shaft 30 carried thereby are swingable about the common vertical axis of the pedestal member and trunnion.

5 and 6, the bracket 41 is equipped with a depending flange 41a and with projecting lugs 41b, suitably apertured to receive the screws 42.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the arms 27, .32 are swung about the vertical axis of the trunnion 26 and pedestal member 33, the shaft 30 and the door 21 carried by the shaft will be bodily moved therewith. Guide means are provided for controlling the movement of the door by turning the same about the axis of the shaft 30 so that the door assumes the closed and open positions as illustrated. In the prior art such guide means involve the provision of a roller on the bracket 41, operatively engaging a relatively stationary track, which arrangement produces a relatively large amount of friction and reduces the operating efi'iciency of the unit.

In accordance with this invention, comparatively simpler and more etficient guide means areprovided, the same comprising a guide bar or link M which has one end thereof pivotally mounted on a trunnion 45 provided at the underside of the plate member 22 at a point spaced horizontally from the trunnion 26, the mounting of the bar 44 on the trunnion 45 being similar to that shown in Figure 8 for the arm 27. The other end of the guide bar 44 is pivotally connected to the bracket 41 at a point spaced from the shaft 3% this pivotal connection being effected by adjustable means illustrated in Figure 10. Such adjustable means comprise a fulcrum pin 46 which is vertically disposed and has its upper end portion rotatably journalled in an aperture 47 in the bar 44, the lower portion of the pin 46 being screwthreaded into an elongated block 48 and also passing through a slot 4-9 formed in the bracket 41.

The block 48 is slidably attached to the bracket 41 by a suitable fastener such as a rivet 54] which extends through another slot 51 formed in the bracket.

The bracket 41 is also provided with an upstanding lug 52 having a screw-threaded aperture to receive a screw 53 which engages the adjacent end of the block 48 and is aligned with the slots 49, 51, so that by turning the screw 53 the block and, consequently, the fulcrum pin 46 may be shifted relative to the bracket 41, toward the door 21. The pin 46 may be locked in a preadjusted position by a pair of nuts 54, 55 which are provided thereon, respectively, at the top of the block 48 and below the bracket 41, as shown.

Consequently, when the door is in its closed position as shown in Figure 2 and pressure is exerted thereon as indicated by the arrow 56, the door with the shaft 30 and the arms 27, 32 will be swung bodily about the vertical axis of the trunnion 26 and pedestal member 33 and, at the same time, the guide bar 44 will control the movement of the door in such manner that it eventually assumes the open position shown in Figure 3, this controlling action being effected by turning the door about the axis of the shaft 30 simultaneously with the swinging of the arms 27, 32 as above mentioned. The open door may be returned to its closed position by simply exerting pressure thereon in the direction of the arrow 57 in Figure 3.

Improved latch means are provided for sustaining the door in either of its closed and open positions, these latch means comprising a pair of cam-surfaced latch elements 53, 59 which are provided on and preferably formed integrally with the outer end portion of the arm 27 at opposite sides of the shaft 30. A latch member in the form of a roller 69, rotatable upon a vertical pin or bolt el'is carried by a lever 62 which is pivoted by a bolt or screw 63 to the bracket 41, the latter being formed with an aperture 64 to receive the screw 63, as shown. The lever 62 is provided with a screw-threaded aperture 65' in which the pin or bolt 61 is secured and is also provided with an apertured, upstanding lug 66 accommodating a bolt 67 which also passes through a similar, upstanding lug. 68 on the bracket 41'. A compression spring 69 is provided on the bolt 67 between the lugs 66, 68, whereby to urge the lever 62 toward the arm 27 and correspondingly urge the roller 60 toward the elements 58, 59.

When the door is in its closed position, the roller 60 engages the latch element 59 at such a point on the camsurface of the latter as to sustain the door in the closed position. However, as the-door is opened, the springbiased roller 60 surmounts the cam lobe of the element 59 and, with the swinging of the arm 27 about the trunnion 26, an intermediate position is reached where the roller has cleared the element 59 and is disposed between the two elements 58, 59. As the door approaches its open position, the roller 6% surmounts the lobe of the cam element 58 and finally comes to engagement therewith at such point as to sustain the door in the open position.

Positive stop means are also provided for the mechanism in both the open and closed positions of the door, these means comprising a stop member 73 which is in the form of a web depending from the underside of an intermediate portion of the arm 27 and which is selectively engageable with a pair of adjustable stop elements 71, 72, provided respectively on the bracket &1 and on the plate member 22. As is best shown in Figure 9, the elements 71, 72. are in the form of screws having rubber-tipped heads 73 to engage the web 70, the screw element 71 being mounted in a screw-threaded lug 74 on the bracket 41, while the element 72 is mounted in a similar lug 75 depending from the underside of the plate member 22. The screw elements 71;, 72 are equipped with lock nuts 76 for locking the same against rotation afterv they have been adjusted for proper co-operation with the Web 70 in both the open and closed positions of the door.

It will be also noted that the bracket 41, apart from affording means for mounting the door on the shaft 30, also functions as a link of lever extending from the bearing aperture 43 to the pin 46, which lever coacts with the arm 27 in providing a toggle mechanism which is partially folded in both the open and closed positions of the door, but becomes straightened during the movement of the door between these two limits.

For reinforcement purposes the bracket 4-1 may be formed at the underside thereof with a pair of spaced parallel webs or ribs 77, integral with the bracket and with the flange portion 41a thereof, as shown.

While in the foregoing there has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. Apparatus for controlling the movement of a door between open and closed positions, comprising upper and lower stationary members adapted to be mounted in fixed positions adjacent a door, upper and lower arms pivoted to the respective upper and lower members for swinging horizontally about a common fixed vertical axis, a vertical shaft extending between and secured to free ends of said arms, upper and lower brackets adapted to be secured to a door and having said shaft rotatably journalled therein whereby to support the door for turning movement about the shaft, a link pivoted at one end thereof to the upper stationary member at a point spaced from said vertical axis, the other end of 1 said link being pivoted to the upper bracket at a point spaced from said shaft, whereby said link may turn a door carried by said brackets about the axis of said shaft during swinging of said arms about said vertical axis, stop means provided for said upper arm at the closed and open positions of thedoor, and. latch means ;for re leasably sustaining the apparatus selectively in the open and closed door positions, said latch means comprising a pair of cam-shaped latch elements provided on said upper arm at opposite sides of said shaft, and a spring-biased latch member provided on the upper bracket and engageable with said latch elements.

2. Apparatus for controlling the movement of a door between open and closed positions comprising, a support member pivoted to swing about a fixed vertical axis which is spaced horizontally from the plane of the door when the latter is in closed position, said door being carried by said member and pivoted thereto to swing about a second vertical axis, said second vertical axis being spaced laterally from said fixed vertical axis whereby it travels in an arc about said fixed vertical axis upon swinging of said support member, single link means for constraining the movement of said second vertical axis relative to the fixed vertical axis, said link means including a rigid link being pivoted at one end thereof directly to said door, and being pivotally connected at its other end for swinging movement about an axis in fixed spaced relation to said fixed vertical axis of the supporting member whereby swinging of the support member about said fixed vertical axis turns the door relative to the support member.

3. Apparatus for pivotally mounting a door, comprising a pair of vertically spaced arms, each having one end thereof pivotally mounted for movement about a common axis, the opposite ends of said arms being fixed to a vertical shaft adapted to be fixed to the inner side of a door and journalled thereon, an upper bracket adapted to be atfixed to the inner surface of a door adjacent the upper extremity thereof and serving in part to journal said shaft, said bracket projecting horizontally inwardly from the associated door, a plate adapted to be affixed to a door frame above the associated door and therebehind when the door is closed, the upper of said arms having said one end thereof pivotally attached to said plate, and a single bar pivotally attached at its opposite ends respectively to the projecting portion of said bracket and to said plate at a predetermined distance from said vertical pivot axis of said arms to constrain the opening movement of the associated door.

4. Apparatus for pivotally mounting a door, comprising a pair of vertically spaced arms, each having one end thereof pivotally mounted for movement about a common axis, the opposite ends of said arms being fixed to a vertical shaft adapted to be fixed to the inner side of a door and journalled thereon, an upper bracket adapted to be aflixed to the inner surface of a door adjacent the upper extremity thereof and serving in part to journal said shaft, said bracket projecting horizontally inwardly from the associated door, a plate adapted to be aiilxed to a door frame above the associated door and therebehind when the door is closed, the upper of said arms having said one end thereof pivotally attached to said plate, and a single bar pivotally attached at its opposite ends respectively to the projecting portion of said bracket and to said plate at a predetermined distance from said vertical pivot axis of said arms to constrain the opening movement of the associated door, and latch means for retaining the door respectively in open and closed positions, said latch means comprising a pair of coacting latch elements one of which is rigid with the upper of said arms at that end thereof which is pivotally attached to said plate, and the other of said latch elements being resiliently mounted on said plate into biased engagement with the first mentioned latch element.

5. Apparatus for controlling the movement of a door between open and closed positions comprising, a pair of vertically spaced arms each having a stationary pivot at one end thereof, said pivots being in vertical alignment whereby said arms are adapted to swing in horizontal arcs about the same vertical axis spaced horizontally from the plane of the door when the latter is in closed position, a vertical spindle carried by said arms and connecting the free ends thereof, a bracket fixed to a door at one end of said spindle and hingedly connected thereto, said bracket having a portion extending from the door in spaced relation to said spindle, a link, means pivotally mounting one end of the link for swinging movement about an axis in fixed spaced relation to the axis of the arms, means pivotally connecting the other end of said link to said bracket portion whereby said link and bracket portion form a folded toggle when the door is in closed position, said spindle being movable in an are about said vertical axis of said arms from a predetermined position on one side to a predetermined position on the other side of its path whereby swinging of said arms about the axis thereof turns the door relative to the arms, means adjusting the pivotal means of said one end of the link and bracket, said arms being spaced beyond the upper and lower edges of said door whereby the door can pass between said arms as it turns about said spindle, and a pair of coacting latch elements mounted on the upper of said spaced arms and the bracket adjacent said spindle for movement with said arm and bracket, said elements being positioned to engage one another when said door is turned to a predetermined position relative to said arm for holding the door in said position, one of said latch elements being yieldably springbiased to permit release of said latch elements from one another.

References Cited in the file of this: patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,575 Bundy Mar. 7, 1939 2,3 6,320 Bales Aug. 10, 1943 2,617,155 Bundy Nov. ll, 1952 2,751,636 Heinemann et al. June 26, 1956 2,768,409 Lutter Oct. 30, 1956 

